Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.

My husband and I are moving to the Lancaster area this summer. He will be working in Wilmer and I found a job in Lancaster. After a few visits and months of research, we found several homes in nice neighborhoods that we are interested in. I do have a question about elementary schools and boundaries. We have two children ages 5 and 9. The real estate listings we are looking at list Houston Elementary, Lancaster Elementary and Millbrook Elementary as neighborhood schools. I have personally heard good things about Houston. Can anyone tell me more about these schools? Which is best? Are there major differences in test scores or reputation?

I also wanted to know if there is a district map showing the specific attendance boundaries for each school? I've looked but have been unable to find anything.

My husband and I are moving to the Lancaster area this summer. He will be working in Wilmer and I found a job in Lancaster. After a few visits and months of research, we found several homes in nice neighborhoods that we are interested in. I do have a question about elementary schools and boundaries. We have two children ages 5 and 9. The real estate listings we are looking at list Houston Elementary, Lancaster Elementary and Millbrook Elementary as neighborhood schools. I have personally heard good things about Houston. Can anyone tell me more about these schools? Which is best? Are there major differences in test scores or reputation?

I also wanted to know if there is a district map showing the specific attendance boundaries for each school? I've looked but have been unable to find anything.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Marilyn

Hello Marilyn.
I'll be glad to assist you. I'm a Lancaster resident and my little brother is a Lancaster High School graduate (Class of 2010).

The boundaries were last adjusted during the 2007-08 school year. There is also the option of transferring from your neighborhood school to another campus in the district, although it has to be approved before school starts by the receiving and transferring campus principals. In these cases, the parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from school.

Houston, Lancaster, and Rosa Parks-Millbrook elementary schools are all rated "Recognized," according to the latest accountability ratings. Six of Lancaster's seven elementary schools are rated "Recognized." The remaining campus, Belt Line Elementary, missed "Recognized" by a single subgroup and is rated "Academically Acceptable." The district as a whole also registered gains in every category, especially science. In my opinion, the best elementary school in Lancaster is Rosa Parks-Millbrook. Over the past few years, it has been a solid high performer in the district. The school also has a lot of parental support. Lancaster Elementary is a close second. Houston is good as well, but the previous two schools have slightly higher test scores overall. A new standardized test - State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) - has been introduced, so no new school ratings will be released this year. A final note, the school district requires all students from prekindergarten through 11th grade to complete reading projects during the summer, which count as a major grade. For returning students, the project is due on the first day of school. Newly enrolled students are given a few weeks to complete the assignment. The district's website - LancasterISD.org - has additional information on the summer reading program, student enrollment process, and campus details.

The district has continued to improve since I moved here. The current superintendent, Dr. Michael McFarland, was appointed in 2010 and has done a great job along with the school board. Test scores have continued to rise, parental and community involvement is much better, and several unique academic programs have been added. For example, a district-wide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education program is being implemented next school year that will increase accelerated learning options from elementary through high school. It is also one of the few districts to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at all three levels: primary, middle, and high school. The district isn't perfect, none are, but your children can receive a quality education here. Despite the sometimes negative tone that is directed at schools in the southern suburbs on this forum, there are good schools in Lancaster and the surrounding areas. Blanket generalizations about entire school districts should be taken with a grain of salt.

Another source for information on LISD happenings is the district's digital newspaper:Lancaster ISD Courier

I hope this helps and welcome to Lancaster. One of the things I like most about living here is the strong sense of community, which was on full display during last month's tornado. Lots of neighbors helping neighbors, people volunteering to help with the cleanup, and so many donations that the local outreach center reached full capacity.

If you have any more questions just let me know and I'll be glad to help. All the best to you and your family.

ACNTX, Thank you so much for all of the great information! I had personally heard good things about Houston elementary, but didn't know much about the others. I also read the parent reviews on great schools and most of the feedback was positive, which is a good sign.

We had planned on moving at the end of last year but decided to wait until this summer. We look forward to relocating and being closer to our families who live in the Dallas area.

Seeing all of that tornado damage broke my heart. Glad that there weren't any serious injuries or deaths.

Dr. Michael McFarland is the best thing to happen to the Lancaster ISD. Since I lived there 21 years I still have close ties and interests in Lancaster and have met with Dr. McFarland. He has a clear direction for the future of the LISD.

I want to thank you guys again for being so helpful. I did get in contact with school district officials last month and they were wonderful. All of my questions were addressed and they even took the time to meet my sons and answer their questions too. We found a beautiful home that's a perfect match for us. Since we'll be busy moving soon, I wanted to express my sincere appreciation.

Glad to hear everything is going well. If you ever need any additional assistance, just let me know.

I wish your family all the best and welcome to Lancaster!

Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.